POST-MORTEM INSPECTION OF SWINE. 
23 
Third.—For the effects it would produce upon the one con¬ 
suming the meat. 
As many of the diseases with which we come into contact 
most frequently are of bacterial origin, it brings up the ques¬ 
tion of how do bacteria produce disease ? Many theories have 
been brought forward, at different times, but the theory which 
now is generally accepted is that symptoms and disease are 
caused by the chemic poisons produced by the micro-organisms. 
Here three possibilities present themselves. The organisms 
themselves may be poisonous, or the poison may be an integral 
part of them. Secondly, the micro-organisms may be intimately 
associated with, or may produce a soluble chemic ferment, which 
by its action on the body produces the symptoms of the disease 
and death. Thirdly, poisons may be produced by the cellular 
activity of the bacteria. The correctness of this theory has 
been tested bv a large number of investigators, with the result 
that its correctness has been fully established. It is now known 
that the pathogenic germs grown in meat broth and other cul¬ 
ture media, elaborate chemic poisons which when injected into 
animals induce, in an acute form, one or more of the symptoms 
of the disease caused by the micro-organisms. It can now be 
safely stated that every germ which produces disease does so by 
virtue of its chemic poisons. 
The diseases most frequently found by the inspector are hog 
cholera, swine plague, tuberculosis, metritis, peritonitis, pleu¬ 
risy, pneumonia, bruises, tumors, nephritis, and hogs that have 
died just previous to time of slaughter. 
We will turn our attention for a few minutes to hog cholera 
and swine plague, which are by far the most frequent causes 
for condemnation. The causes of these diseases are baccili, dif¬ 
fering in many ways and alike in many respects. They are 
the bacillus cholera suis and the bacillus of swine plague, which 
I will not describe. In giving the pathological lesions, those 
only that may be readily seen by the inspector in his hurried 
examination will be dwelt upon. Probably the first symptom 
seen is the red spots which appear upon the surface. They may 
